Retford Town

When you come to Retford as part of the HBPW team, you not only get to work on World-Class Projects, but you also get to enjoy an amazing lifestyle in this quiet but beautiful East Midlands town.

Bill Bryson, the American author, praised the town in his bestselling book, Notes from a Small Island, in which he wrote, ‘Retford, I am pleased to report, is a delightful and charming place even under the sort of oppressive grey clouds that make far more celebrated towns seem dreary and tired. Its centrepiece is an exceptionally large and handsome market square lined with a picturesque jumble of noble Georgian buildings’.

Four markets a week in Retford’s Market Square

There are indeed some lovely buildings, shops and eateries, whilst Retford is also well placed for access to the national trunk road and motorway network as the A1 passes to the west of the town, typically just a 5-10 minute drive from the centre.

There are also two railway lines, the East Coast Main Line which runs between London and Scotland, with trains taking around 1hr 20 minutes to London Kings Cross, whilst the Sheffield to Lincoln Line also has links to Gainsborough, Worksop, Grimsby and Cleethorpes.

A taste of Sicily at Mamma Giusi’s Italian Deli in Retford town centre

However, this jewel in the East Midlands crown offers, more than anything, the opportunity for a great lifestyle. Over the years King’s Park has been voted as one of the finest in the UK.

King’s Park, Retford – A jewel in the East Midlands Crown

The award winning King’s Park

Then there are its properties. The town has a very competitive overall average price of £155k, well inside the £230k national average and, in truth, you can buy some stunning properties, with land, at a fraction of the cost you’d pay in a big city suburb.

Waterside properties on Retford’s River Idle

Overall Retford is an attractive market town with a population of slightly over 20,000 people in the very north of Robin Hood country; Nottinghamshire.

It won its right to stage markets – around four a week – as part of its first charter granted by Henry III in 1246.

St Swithun’s Church in the Heart of Retford town

This was extended by Edward I in 1275 to holding a Saturday market: a tradition that continues today just across from the historic Butter Market Building and Town Hall.

Retford’s historic Butter Market

Retford, might not be London, Leeds or Nottingham, but it promises more than a big city……- Georgian buildings, a spacious square, two theatres, great open spaces, a slice of English history and that much undervalued attribute; you can actually park your car easily, usually free of charge!

Welcome to Retford, the home of HBPW LLP Civil & Structural Engineers, 43 Bridgegate.